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A Princess Play Day {Pink Poppy Giveaway}

We were gifted a sample pack of Pink Poppy products for the purposes of review.

No payment was received.

Unless you count the fun.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED AND THE WINNER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED IN THE COMMENTS

Once upon a time, in a kingdom not so far away.

There lived three little princesses who were great friends.

They spent their time together telling secrets in (not-so) hushed tones.

They were kind to one another, and lived to make the world smile.

They ran.

They laughed.

And twirling? Twirling was essential.

Pink Poppy is giving you the chance to win a Fairy and Princess Essentials pack for your own fairytale fun!

Pack includes:

1 X Fairy fantasy dress (RRP $49.95)

1 X Princess Crown with gems (RRP $4.95)

1 X Sparkle Wand (RRP $4.95)

1 X Pair Fairy Fantasy Wings ($14.95)

1 X Princess Lockable Diary (RRP $9.95)

1 X Essentials Fairy Sticker pack (RRP $2.95)

1 X Princess Shaker Tumbler (RRP $8.95)

1 X Tea Party Music Box (RRP $24.95)

1 X Tea Party Porcelain Tea Set with carry box (RRP $24.95)

1 X Sweetness and Charms Photo Frame (RRP $22.95)

1 X Sweetness and Charms Shoulder Bag (RRP16.95)

1 X Fantasy Bow headband (RRP $4.95)

1 X Fantasy Bow Hairclip (RRP $1.95)

1 X Fantasy Bow hair elastic (RRP $1.95)

1 X Sweetness and Charms Bracelet (RRP $5.95)

1 X Sweetness and Charms Necklace (RRP $6.95)

Total Prize = RRP $208.20

To win, comment on this post telling me what your (or your children’s) princess essentials are, and then complete the Rafflecopter form below.

NOTE: The only mandatory field is the comment, completing other fields is at your discretion and not required for entry into this competition.

This competition is a game of skill – winner will be chosen on the basis of originality of their answer.

Competition opens Sunday 28th April 2013 and closes 9pm Sunday 12th May 2013.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I massacred a Ram, cracked my iPad and other stories from the confines of a hotel lift

I have this amazing ability to do the most randomly idiotic things in the most epically fancy of places.

Case in point – I have just arrived home from the Digital Parents Australia Conference in Sydney. Held at Curzon Hall. Fancy, castle, they-put-my-napkin-over-my-lap-for-me Curzon Hall.

Within the gates of Curzon Hall I, in no particular order (chronologically, nor in terms of severity of embarrassment):-

- Fell on my bum. Twice. Once in heels performing some mysterious dance move. If you know the name of said dance move, or have pictorial or video evidence, I do not wish to know or see. However, should you wish to publish evidence of my dance skillz, please feel free. Embarrassing or not, I at least appreciate the humour I am capable of providing.

- Got stuck in a lift. Within five minutes of arriving at my accomodation. There were actually positives to this experience though – a new huge, savior dude friend (Hi Missy!), a free bottle of wine (thanks Stamford Grand) and NOT being the one in the lift trying to pry the doors open with my bare hands. Oh, and also not having to take Essentially Jess to the hospital for crushing her fingers to bloody pulps. This wasn’t actually in Curzon Hall, but was in the fancy-we-gave-you-a-room-overlooking-the-lagoon Stamford Grand Hotel.

- Fell hard and fast, and rather obviously, into three new HUGE *ahem* parenting crushes on Fast Lane Dad and the Tackle Nappy guys. I already have a massive crush on Reservoir Dad after last year’s conference. Also, nearly stole Fast Lane Dad’s cool phone, except the thought of having my own phone stolen took my breath away. And far be it from me to inflict that kind of anxiety on anyone else. I did steal his phone number though, LOOK OUT!

- Killed a ram. In my defense, his innards were put to good use.

I made Mrs. Woog a happy woman and may have cornered an entirely new handmade market in the process.

Its a finger puppet.
I’ll sit by and wait for the email orders to roll in…
Photography by CRAP Mamma

- Cracked my iPad screen within five minutes of getting into Sydney. I’m clever like that. And, being as clever as I am, I knew it was best not to mention this incident to Pal until 2am last night, when I arrived home. I tell you, no one forgives you as fast as someone half asleep at 2am in the morning who just wishes you would shut the hell up.

Obviously I have since been down to grab myself a protective case for my favourite child.

- Set up a Twitter playdate between Pal and Reservior Dad. I figured they could both use somebody to talk to about fitness and weights and sets and reps, etceteras, etceteras. Somebody who cares, I mean.

- Gatecrashed an underage disco. I will not be convinced those children were older than 18. You’d be hard pressed to convince me they were older than 12.

- Snorted too loudly, witch-cackled, forgot my inside voice, talked way too much and pretended I was much cooler than I could ever possibly be. Countless times.

At least I was in good company. Clockwise: With Some Grace, CRAP Mamma, My Mummy Daze and Fast Lane Dad

I feel that the only time I DID retain my dignity was when I made the prudent decision NOT to jump on the spring free trampoline in order to win one.

First of all, Tena have still not sponsored me in any way, shape or form. And until they do I will not jump on a trampoline in public.

Ever.

Secondly, part of the entry was that photographic evidence would be instagrammed and I was wearing a dress and polka dot undies.

Finally, I have one new trampoline set up in my backyard, another still in its box in the garage and I’m just not that greedy.

I am a little upset I didn’t get to have a good jump though.

Tena really need to get their act together.

Who is your new *ahem* parenting crush? When was the last time you embarrassed yourself? Was it in front of over 100 public broadcasters? More importantly, was it worth the laugh afterwards?

{Next to the Drafty Window} Things I learned last week…

You know what I love about draft folders?

They’re always there for you.

Not only are they always there for you, they are often there for an inebriated you who thinks you’ve got something vitally important to tell the world at midnight.

And the blogger in me, even under the influence, knows well enough to hit “save draft” rather than publish immediately.

I wrote this little gem before Christmas – and found it sitting in my drafts folder last week. Enjoy!

–

So, it turns out I’m not as clever as I thought.

Because I’m pretty sure clever people know that there is always more clever to be gained.

I, on the other hand, seem to consistently think I have reached the threshold of clever of which my brain is capable.

And then manage to do something stupid to prove my own “clever” assumptions completely and utterly, ridiculously, well, just plain wrong.

And so, because I’m always learning new tricks – unlike an old dog, or perhaps an old chair (because lets face it, an old dog is more likely to learn a new trick before an inanimate object) – I thought I’d share the few pearls of wisdom I’ve learned today.

1. When the weather report says thunderstorms and heavy rain, but you wake up to a sunny day, this does not mean you should put your washing out anyway.

Apparently I know more than scientists with ridiculously high powered machines and sensors tracking weather across the globe. Or so I thought at 6:30am.

2. When Fraser says he wants “jam”, it could mean anything from peanut butter, to Vegemite, to poo on toast. It most certainly does not mean jam.

3. Quiet children do not necessarily indicate naughtiness. It also indicates that the children have figured out how to slide away the fly screen.

And empty the entire contents of Roo’s room out her window. Barring only those items too heavy for toddler to lift. By which I mean the bed, the cupboard, the tall boy and the shelves.

Everything else? Fair game.

4. Eating food is important. For many reasons. But right now there is one rather pressing consequence.

Saying “yes” to going to a friend’s for “a drink” will very possibly turn into 3 unmeasured glasses full of gin and juice.

Plus the soda water she bought to keep in her fridge, just because she knows me well.

And then I’ll probably end up standing at my own front door, drenched from the storm I didn’t believe was coming in the weather report, unable to get my key in and still with plenty of jobs to do before bed.

Also, my portion control is not so good whilst inebriated. Nor my ability to hold and wash spoons.

Mind you, I am quite partial to this lovely item.

I bet I could start a whole new trend..

Also, could someone please tell my husband he needs to have more control over me? I’m not sure I should be allowed to make my own decisions.

Oh yeah, and anyone who suggests that blogging whilst under the influence isn’t advisable?

Totally wrong.

Totally.

{Crochet} A little something for Mooch

Back when Pal and I were newly married, and trying to recover from the loss of our first baby, there was someone there that got me through many a dark moment.

Someone whose face could always make me smile.

Someone whose very existence helped me remember – in the most bittersweet way – what we had lost. But also remind me of what I had to look forward to.

He helped me fuse together just a few pieces of my broken heart. He helped me through every day. Visits with him were the highlights – the things to look forward to.

I fell in love with him.

Head over heels, fall to the floor, swoon to the moon in love.

The kind of love an aunty feels for her nephew.

Her newborn, pseudo-nephew – her best friend’s second child.

Mooch.

Two days after Christmas he turned 5. Yesterday he started school.

And I cannot comprehend how that little babe – that little man I used to bathe and dress and snuggle, the boy that spent so much time with me, laying on my swollen, full of Rory, pregnant belly – has grown up so much and so quickly.

He used to have these pajamas – green with a dog dressed as a pirate on the front. He called it “pie dawg.” He loved those things and would yell out “Pie Dawg!” whenever he was wearing them. Loudly. So everyone knew he and Pie Dog were together again.

And when it came to finding something to make him for his birthday, and to commemorate his first year of school, I was consumed with visions of pirates. It took me until halfway through making the blanket before I connected my need for pirates for Mooch with Mooch’s love of Pie Dog.

This blanket and pirate were over a month late getting to Mooch. It didn’t make me feel any better that I knew he was on the verge of starting an all-out brawl every time the postie came and one of his siblings (or his poor mother) tried to get the mail.

I had decided to make a second, much simpler granny square blanket to sew onto the back – there were so many loose ends and scraggly bits because of all the applique! But instead, I traded my crochet services to my mother-in-law, in return for her sewing skills – and she sewed a lovely green flannel on the back and saved me about a million hours of crochet, joining, weaving in and stitching on.

Mooch rang me when his package finally arrived – and I couldn’t tell if I couldn’t hear him well because of a bad phone connection, or his excitement.

And that moment, when you know you’ve made someone’s day – that makes all the hours worth it. So, so worth it.

Happy belated birthday (and first day of school), Mooch. I am so incredibly blessed to have you in my life.

We all are.

**Pirate Crochet Granny Squares pattern from Repeat Crafter Me**

Daisy Roo and Two

motherhood. crochet. cake.

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Archive / Friends

A Princess Play Day {Pink Poppy Giveaway}

I massacred a Ram, cracked my iPad and other stories from the confines of a hotel lift

{Next to the Drafty Window} Things I learned last week…

{Crochet} A little something for Mooch